Vehicle tongue structure



M. M. SHEA.

' VEHICLE TONGUE STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. u. I921.

l,4=36,539. Patented Nov. 21, 19225 atbozmgs Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

urnran lines MICHAEL M. srrEe, or rorsnam, NEW roan.

VEHICLE roneUE srnncroan.

Application filed April 11, 1921. Serial No. 460,446.

useful Improvements in Vehicle Tongue Structures, of whichthe following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon. a

The present invention relates to improvements in vehicle tongues, such as is commonly employed to connect avehicle to a tractor, for transportation.

In logging, as practiced in winter lumber camps, the transportation of the logs is usually accomplished by sleds which loaded with logs are hauled by horses from deep in the woods, through feeder paths or ways only traversable by horses, to a wider main woods road, through which a tractor may pass.

It is customary to haul the single sleds loaded with logs by teams of horses to this main road and then a number of such sleds, five or even more, are hooked together and hauled out to the proper point by a tractor.

Itis advantageous to provide detachable tongues or poles, to which a team of horses can be attached, and which with slight labor can be attached to and detached from the tongue and roll bar of the sled, which sled tongues form the connection between the sleds of a train and the tractor which hauls the same.

The detachable tongue may be readily applied to loaded sleds to enable the horses to .haul them to the point where the tractor picks up a train of sleds, or it may be readily applied to the empties to draw them back lso to the place for loading, or may be easily dragged by the team back into the woods for attachment to aloaded sled.

The invention, therefore, consists in the Figure 3 is aperspective view of the auxlhary tongue and a portion of the main .L J. tongue, in detail; and i Figure 4: is another view otfthe coupling In these drawings, 1 represents the short or main tongue which is secured to the roll bar 2 at its inner end and additionally secured thereto and braced by the angle irons 3. The roll bar 2 is provided onits lower a face with a groove, in which is set and held by bands it, the iron pivot bar 5 which passes through the side runners 6 of the sled and held by pins 7 i This construction oi roll bar and mode of attachment to the sled gives the necessary vertical play to the tongue in travelling over rough ground and. yet gives a rigid and sure held against tractor and team strain, both forward and lateral.

' The forward end of the main tongue has secured to it a U-bar 8, having an eye 9, by which the tractor may be coupled on, or by which the preceding sled of a train of sleds may be coupled on.

The auxiliary tongue or pole is represented generally at 10. It is considerably longer than the main tongue and much lighter, not beingf subjected to the severe strains of the other and being, when in use for draft purposes, auxiliary thereto.

It has a bottom plate 11, attached near its inner end, the end of such plate being enlarged and having bevelled sides to a fork 12 which fit into a clip 13 on the roll bar'2. A downwardly extending angle iron 14 fits beneath a bail 16 set into a slot 15 in the main tongue. This angle iron and the fork 12 prevent vertical displacement and side displacement or" the auxiliary tongue under pulling strain ofth team. The pull of the team attached. to the whifiie trees 1'2", on the double tree 18 is transmitted from the au1xiliary tongue to the main tongue by the I double tree pin 19, which passes through the opening 20 in the end iron 21, the double tree and the lower iron or bottom plate 11 into the main tongue. It will be seen by this construction that, to disconnect the team from a sled, it is only necessary to pull out the pin 19 and remove the auxiliary tongue by sliding it longitudinally of themain tongue, then by inserting the pin through the ters Patent, is: r

double tree and auxiliary tongue the team can drag the tongue to position for further use, and it can be readily attached to another sledeither a full one or an empty.

While a pin 19 oi": the length shovrn is used in securing the auxiliary tongue to the main tongue, I provide a shorter pin for use When the tongue is to be dragged over the ground or snow, it being oi such length as only to hold the double tree in place on the tongue and not project below the lower face of the tongue. These pins are attached to cords, as usual, to prevent loss.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letand a removable pin adapted to couple said main and auxiliary tongues and double-tree together.

2, In a device of the class described, the combination of a roll bar adapted to be pivotally attached to a vehicle body, a clip on said-roll baiga main tongue, having a bolt hole and a slot with the bail therein, an

auxiliary tongue having a fork on its inner end adapted to engage under the clip on the roll 7 bar and provided with a depending tongue adapted to pass under the bail in the slot on the main tongue, said auxiliary tongue also carrying spaced plates having registering perforations, a double-tree -having a bolt hole, said double tree being adapted to be carried between the spaced" plates of the auxiliary tongue, and-a cou-i.

pling pin adapted to passthrough theybo lt holes of the spaced plates, "the double-tree hold 'the" and the main tongue Whereby to same in detachable assembled position;

In testimony whereof, I aflixmy signature.

MICHAELM; SHEA;- 

